From the beginnings of Wahabism in the 18th century to the so called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant （ISIL, ISIS） violence has occasionally been justified in the name of Islam, which is problematic for secular ...From the beginnings of Wahabism in the 18th century to the so called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant （ISIL, ISIS） violence has occasionally been justified in the name of Islam, which is problematic for secular and traditional scholars alike. This paper demonstrates that there are three complex, interrelated causes for this violence： foreign military intervention, Salafi-Jihadism and a utopian state founded upon faith and justice, i.e. a caliphate.展开更多
The foundational and survival principles of all religions are shrouded in rituals, narratives, origin-stories, cultic practices, casuistries, taboos, mythical figures and institutions of authority. However, through ou...The foundational and survival principles of all religions are shrouded in rituals, narratives, origin-stories, cultic practices, casuistries, taboos, mythical figures and institutions of authority. However, through out history, religions have been threatened by politico-military and religious aggressions from other peoples, by heterodoxies, alternative origin-stories, practices and beliefs. These threats became unprecedented with the advent of Modernity. Faced with these destabilizing agents, they resorted to citing textual authorities, strengthening their institutions, giving leaders more powers, precisely defining belief commitments, punishing heretics and using violence against heterodoxies. Consequently, in their obsessive quest for preserving the sanctity of their faiths against modern threats, religions or section of a religion adopted both revival and resistant measures. Fundamentalism thus developed within these contexts. This paper intends to reveal that religious militancy and militarism are ramifications of Fundamentalism. It argues that Modernity＇s destabilizing agents to religions and religions＇ passionate desire for self-protective steps, militant or militaristic, yield to the phenomenon of Fundamentalism. Secondary sources were used to assemble the data while analytical and comparative approaches with empirical emphases on Christianity and Islam were used to weave the findings with the finality that militant or militaristic, Fundamentalism is religions＇ obsessive response to Modernity,展开更多
In this paper, I analyze pictorial representations of the Buddhist story of Mulian rescuing his mother in China, Japan, and Korea in the pre-modern and early modern periods. I have collected several pictorial versions...In this paper, I analyze pictorial representations of the Buddhist story of Mulian rescuing his mother in China, Japan, and Korea in the pre-modern and early modern periods. I have collected several pictorial versions of the Mulian story in these countries, and comparison shows close proximity of several such works. All of them are related to the narrative texts that represent elaboration of the originally scriptural story （it originated in the apocryphal Buddhist scripture that circulated in China） in vernacular languages. Images of the Mulian story in the countries of East Asia had diverse nature： they could appear as separate scenes in devotional religious paintings, multi-scene handscrolls, and illustrations in the manuscripts and editions. I argue that the subject of Mulian rescuing his mother was of primary importance in the popularization of Buddhist ideas among different layers of society. The related images were used for both storytelling and reading practices and helped different audiences to comprehend the Mulian story.展开更多
文摘From the beginnings of Wahabism in the 18th century to the so called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant （ISIL, ISIS） violence has occasionally been justified in the name of Islam, which is problematic for secular and traditional scholars alike. This paper demonstrates that there are three complex, interrelated causes for this violence： foreign military intervention, Salafi-Jihadism and a utopian state founded upon faith and justice, i.e. a caliphate.
文摘The foundational and survival principles of all religions are shrouded in rituals, narratives, origin-stories, cultic practices, casuistries, taboos, mythical figures and institutions of authority. However, through out history, religions have been threatened by politico-military and religious aggressions from other peoples, by heterodoxies, alternative origin-stories, practices and beliefs. These threats became unprecedented with the advent of Modernity. Faced with these destabilizing agents, they resorted to citing textual authorities, strengthening their institutions, giving leaders more powers, precisely defining belief commitments, punishing heretics and using violence against heterodoxies. Consequently, in their obsessive quest for preserving the sanctity of their faiths against modern threats, religions or section of a religion adopted both revival and resistant measures. Fundamentalism thus developed within these contexts. This paper intends to reveal that religious militancy and militarism are ramifications of Fundamentalism. It argues that Modernity＇s destabilizing agents to religions and religions＇ passionate desire for self-protective steps, militant or militaristic, yield to the phenomenon of Fundamentalism. Secondary sources were used to assemble the data while analytical and comparative approaches with empirical emphases on Christianity and Islam were used to weave the findings with the finality that militant or militaristic, Fundamentalism is religions＇ obsessive response to Modernity,
文摘In this paper, I analyze pictorial representations of the Buddhist story of Mulian rescuing his mother in China, Japan, and Korea in the pre-modern and early modern periods. I have collected several pictorial versions of the Mulian story in these countries, and comparison shows close proximity of several such works. All of them are related to the narrative texts that represent elaboration of the originally scriptural story （it originated in the apocryphal Buddhist scripture that circulated in China） in vernacular languages. Images of the Mulian story in the countries of East Asia had diverse nature： they could appear as separate scenes in devotional religious paintings, multi-scene handscrolls, and illustrations in the manuscripts and editions. I argue that the subject of Mulian rescuing his mother was of primary importance in the popularization of Buddhist ideas among different layers of society. The related images were used for both storytelling and reading practices and helped different audiences to comprehend the Mulian story.
